According to US PIRG Education Fund, hospitalizations and deaths from contaminated food doubled in 2024. Food recalls for Salmonella, Listeria, and E. coli jumped by 41% across the United States. 98% of all illnesses were linked to just 13 outbreaks. In September, McDonald’s faced an E. Coli outbreak that sickened 104 people across 14 states, leading to 34 hospitalizations, four instances of serious illness, and one death. The outbreak was traced back to fresh slivered onions from Taylor Farms, which voluntarily recalled the product on October 22. In the week of October 21, visits to McDonald's restaurants decreased by 6.31%.
The war in Iran has increased the price of fertilizers by over 50 percent since March of this year. Many farmers in the region are considering replacing expensive synthetic fertilizers with organic ones. U.N. chief economist Máximo Torero predicts a global food crisis in the short to medium term.
French study found that common food preservatives may contribute to higher risks of high blood pressure and cardiovascular disease. Researchers analyzed data from 112,395 adults averaging 42 years of age and followed them for 8 years. They found that high consumption of non-antioxidant preservatives was associated with a 29% greater risk of hypertension and a 16% higher risk of cardiovascular disease, but only ascorbic acid was significantly associated with higher cardiovascular disease risk.
Women with higher levels of per- and polyfluorohexanesulfonic acid (PFHxS) in their blood could be more likely to have multiple sclerosis (MS) than those with lower levels. MS is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system. An estimated 1 million Americans are living with MS.
Exxon Valdez spilled 11 million gallons of oil into Alaska’s Prince William Sound in 1989. Lee Raymond oversaw the cleanup and a US$1 billion federal settlement for the damage to the coastline and wildlife. Raymond died on June 9, 2026, at the age of 87. Raymond's legacy will be his role in spreading doubt about climate change.
DEA allowed hundreds of thousands of fentanyl pills to hit the streets of New Mexico between 2023 and 2025, according to current and former DEA agents and government records reviewed by The Associated Press. DEA agents monitored shipments of the pills, but did not seize them as federal prosecutors sought to bring bigger criminal cases against traffickers of the synthetic opioid. DEA has long contended it would not be plausible to seize every shipment of every drug.
Gennings Dunker asked Pittsburgh residents if it's OK to swim in the rivers or eat the fish he planned to catch. Many people are unsure whether Pittsburgh's rivers are safe. The city has inherited hundreds of sewer overflow points throughout the city's three rivers - the Allegheny, Monongahela and Ohio.
Bemotrizinol (BEMT) is a sunscreen ingredient recently approved by the FDA. Europeans have been using it safely for more than 20 years, but the FDA is only now giving it the nod. BEMT's discovery and synthesis is related to illicit fentanyl.
As product portfolios expand, regulatory requirements evolve and customer expectations increase, food, beverage and supplement companies are managing more product data than ever before. The same data lives in too many places. Product development, raw material management, labeling and packaging artwork review are often managed in separate systems. Entr Technologies is a platform built for mid-market and enterprise food, beverages and supplement manufacturers.
John Byrum wants to build a desalination plant on Corpus Christi Bay in 2024. The Nueces River Authority collected $6.4 million from 18 cities, towns and utilities since March of last year, records show. The agency doled out lobbying and engineering contracts for the Harbor Island project. The city of Kyle, south of Austin, bought the water from the NRA, but it was never sold out.